Outdoors & Recreation
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A local resource guide published by the Palo Alto Weekly 2015-16 by the numbers | arts & entertainment | outdoors & recreation | education community | government | getting around | paloaltoonline.com Food Scraps Composting Collection Is Here! Where you put your food scraps makes a world of difference. You can now put all of your food scraps and food soiled paper directly into your green cart along with your yard trimmings. By doing this, you help Palo Alto turn your food scraps into rich soil and renewable energy, and help protect the climate. For service call (650) 493-4894 www.cityofpaloalto.org/foodscraps [email protected] (650) 496-5910 R. BRENDAN LEARY (650) 207-2100 [email protected] www.brendanleary.com CalBRE # 00640599 ENDURANCE TRAINING IN REAL ESTATE SINCE 1975. RECENT TRANSACTIONS Fulton Street, Palo Alto – L Bay Road, Menlo Park - S Cypress Court, Los Altos - S Palo Alto Avenue, Mountain View - L Country Club Drive, Los Altos - S Bridgton Court, Los Altos - S Laurel Avenue, Menlo Park - S Blackburn Avenue, Menlo Park - L Columbia Circle, Redwood City – S Winston Way, Redwood City – S Alameda de las Pulgas, San Carlos – L Webster Street #8, Palo Alto - S Union Street, San Francisco - S Winfield, Mountain View – R Menlo Avenue, Menlo Park - S Fremontia Street, Portola Valley - S Altamont Road, Los Altos Hills - S Leona Lane, Mountain View – R Central Drive, Los Altos Hills - S Riverside Drive, Los Altos - L Matadero Avenue, Palo Alto - S Bonita Avenue, Mountain View - L Camino de los Robles, Menlo Park - S Matadero Avenue, Palo Alto - L Ortega Court, Palo Alto - L Palomar Drive, Redwood City - L Terstena Place #142, Santa Clara - S Eaton Avenue, San Carlos - S Hawthorne Avenue, Palo Alto - L Woodgate Court, San Jose - L Mouton Circle, East Palo Alto - L Royal Lane, San Carlos - S 17th Avenue, Menlo Park - S Miranda Road, Los Altos - S Bear Paw, Portola Valley - S Old Snakey Rd, Los Altos Hills - L Saratoga Ave, Saratoga - S La Mesa Drive #2, San Carlos - S Pinon Dr, Portola Valley - S Harker Ave, Palo Alto - L Touring Homes on L’Alpe d’Huez Buena Vista Ave, Redwood City - L [email protected] | www.brendanleary.com | (650) 207-2100 | CalBRE # 00640599 i Palo Alto 4 • Info Palo Alto www.PaloAltoOnline.com i Palo Alto WELCOME TO INFO PALO ALTO Veronica Weber There is no place quite like Palo Alto. The birthplace of Silicon Valley — incubator of tech giants such as HP, Facebook and Google — the city thrives on innovation. Yet its Community | 18 residents recognize that it is the plentiful civic amenities and culture of braininess (cultivated through close ties to Stanford University) that have fostered the dynamic life they so enjoy. This publication, Info Palo Alto, aims to capture the most useful information about this vibrant city of nearly 67,000 people, from how to contact the mayor to where to take continuing-education courses. Brand new in this year’s edition are maps, charts and graphics that give quick access to essential data. Our Education section off ers comparative information on public and private schools. The Outdoors chapter maps out where you can swim, skateboard and play tennis. The Government chapter provides information on the boards and commissions that guide the city. In addition to Info Palo Alto, you can visit PaloAltoOnline.com to stay up to date on Palo Alto news. Subscribe to Express, a daily email, Veronica Weber and have the news delivered right to your in box. Or check out Weekend Express, emailed on Thursdays, for the scoop on arts and entertainment. Both are free; sign up at PaloAltoOnline.com/express. Outdoors | 34 If you’ve got suggestions for next year’s Info, please email editor@ paweekly.com. We appreciate your feedback. Jocelyn Dong Editor, Info Palo Alto Inside Info Arts & Entertainment ....................12 Government ..................................... 68 By the Numbers .................................6 Index ....................................................78 Community .......................................18 Outdoors & Recreation ................34 Education .......................................... 48 Quick Reference Directory ..........76 Getting Around ...............................74 On the cover: Children enjoy one of several slides at the Magical Veronica Weber Bridge Playground, an innovative, 100 percent inclusive space where kids with and without disabilities can play together. Magical Bridge opened in south Palo Alto in 2015. Read more about it in the Outdoors section of this publication. Photo by Sue Dremann. Education | 48 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Info Palo Alto • 5 BY THE Numbers DEMOGRAPHICS AND MORE Courtesy Palo Alto Historical Association Numbers can surprise, $1,400 higher than just five years ago). in 2014, way above the national average. Two women wave amuse, provide perspective, The percentage of Palo Alto land devoted Weather statistics give us pause: If you to the crowd on to open space — nearly 60 percent — think today is hot (or cold), imagine what University Avenue tell a story. and the number of city-maintained trees Palo Alto must’ve been like at its extremes during a celebration In Palo Alto, the story of the skyrocket- — 35,225 — speak to the values of the in temperature: a low of 20 degrees and a of the opening of the city’s residents and governing officials. high of 107. ing real estate market is seen in figures University Avenue ranging from the average price of a Numbers show us that Palo Altans love City statistics might even inspire a new underpass on single-family home ($2,667,000) to the their libraries: An average of 23 items quest: Has anyone ever walked along all March 8, 1941. average rent for a two-bed, two-bath were checked out per library card holder 6.7 million square feet of city sidewalks? apartment ($3,955 a month, which is FACTS AND STATISTICS ABOUT PALO ALTO How educated are Palo Alto residents? Police patrol vehicles: 28 Vital signs With high Some Square miles: 25.79 Fire stations: 6 (plus one seasonal) school college degree education Population: 66,955 Firefighters: 107 Without a With high school 2.5% 8.8% associate Parks and plazas: 36 Fire Department vehicles: 27 degree degree Acres of city parks: 157 Libraries: 5 2.5% 4.1% Acres of city-owned open space: Per capita circulation rate of 3,731 library items (2014): 22.8 per year City-maintained trees: 35,225 Library card holders (2014): 46,950 Miles of streets: 473 Average monthly residential electricity bill (1998-99): $39.02 Square feet of sidewalks: 6,679,200 Average monthly residential Tennis courts: 51 electricity bill (2013-14): $42.76 Sister cities: Palo, Leyte, Philippines; Source: City of Palo Alto Oaxaca, Mexico; Enschede, The Netherlands; Linkoping, Sweden; Albi, France; and Tsuchiura, Japan Land use Source: City of Palo Alto, U.S. Census Total land area: 25.79 square miles Bureau Percent of land devoted to open With graduate With bachelor's space: 58.6 percent or professional degree degree Climate Percent of land devoted to single- 51.3% 28.6% Hottest day in city history: June 15, family residential: 23.3 percent Data represents adults older than 25. Source: American Community Survey 2009-2013 1961 (107 degrees) Percent of land devoted to multi- Coldest day in city history: Jan. 11, family residential: 3.5 percent 1949, and Dec. 23, 1990 (20 degrees) People Education and income Percent of land devoted to Source: Western Regional Climate commercial: 2.5 percent Median age: 41.3 years Per capita income: $73,329 Center, Reno, Nevada Percent of land devoted to White: 59.3 percent Median household income: $121,465 business and industrial: 7.4 percent Asian: 25.9 percent City facts Median family income: $165,292 Percent of land devoted to public Hispanic: 8 percent City employees: 1,040 and institutional: 4.4 percent Residents below poverty level: 5.7 Black: 2.6 percent percent General fund budget (2015-16): Total Assessed Valuation (Jan. 1, Seniors (65 and older): 16.9 percent $185.7 million and a $351.1 million 2014): $27.24 billion Source: 2009-13 American Community enterprise fund Veterans: 2,742 Survey Source: City of Palo Alto; Santa Clara Police officers (sworn): 93 County Assessor’s Office Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009-13 American Community Survey 6 • Info Palo Alto www.PaloAltoOnline.com Stanford Primary Care Stanford Primary Care specializes in you. Now in your neighborhood, we offer adult, child, and senior primary care programs customized to fit your lifestyle. Stanford Primary Care offers: • Expert medical attention and care for everyone in the family • Medical care for chronic conditions • Compassionate senior care and caregiver resources • Online and telephone visits More convenient locations in a neighborhood near you! Hoover Pavilion Los Altos Portola Valley Santa Clara 211 Quarry Rd. 960 N. San Antonio Rd. 3250 Alpine Rd. 2518 Mission College Blvd. Palo Alto, CA Los Altos, CA Portola Valley, CA Santa Clara, CA For more information, please call 650.498.9000 or visit us online at stanfordhealthcare.org/primarycare. www.PaloAltoOnline.com Info Palo Alto • 7 i Palo Alto Veronica Weber The sun sets on the pole fi eld at Byxbee Park and the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center at the Palo Alto Baylands on Feb. 20, 2015. Housing Median home price in Palo Alto Housing units: 28,216* Median single-family home price $2,667,000 (through June 2015): 2,667,000** Median condo/townhouse price (through June 2015): $1,542,500** Average monthly (asking) rent (April-June 2015): $3,955 (2 bed, 2 bath)*** Average monthly (asking) rent $1,438,900 (April-June 2015): $2,897 (1 bed, 1 bath)*** $987,700 Average monthly rent (2010): $2,555 (2 bed, 2 bath)*** Average monthly rent (2010): $457,800 $1,884 (1 bed, 1 bath)*** Average number of people per $148,900 $33,900 housing unit in 2013: 2.3 PALO ALTANS Average number of people per 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 1,763 WALK TO WORK housing unit in 1960: 3.1 Source: 2013 American Data represents single-family homes through June of that year.